Last season, the Atlanta Braves became the envy of the league, when MLB.com named Jason Heyward as the top prospect in their annual listing of the Top Prospects in Major League Baseball.
Heyward, who had been listed as the No. 28 overall prospect in 2008, leaped up to No. 5 in 2009 before hitting the jackpot in 2010. Following the No. 1 selection, the buzz on Heyward made it a no brainer when Atlanta invited Heyward to camp before the start of the 2010 season.
One year later, Atlanta follows the Heyward standing ranking three players in the Top 25 of MLB.com’s top 50 prospect list. The list includes:
Julio Teheran, Pitcher, ranked No. 10 overall
Freddie Freeman, first baseman, ranked No. 17 overall
Mike Minor, Pitcher, ranked No. 21 overall
Just 19 years old, Teheran started last season in Single-A ball at Rome before getting promotions to advanced Single-A and finally Double-A ball in Mississippi. In 19 total games, Teheran posted a 9-8 record with a 2.59 ERA and 159 strikeouts. Teheran’s fastball has been clocked at 98 miles per hour.
Fellow pitcher Mike Minor made his pro debut last season with Atlanta, going 3-2 with a 5.98 ERA in nine total appearances. Minor, the former first round 7th overall pick in 2009, had a 12-strikeout game against the Chicago Cubs back on August 22, 2010. He is expected to compete with the Braves to be the fifth man on their already deep rotation, which includes Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, and Jair Jurrjens.
Freeman like Minor, also made his starting debut last season with Atlanta. A September call up, Freeman had four hits and batted .167 in 20 games with one home run, one RBI and scored three runs. Freeman, a 2007 2nd round pick, is considered by many to be the future first baseman for the Braves, and with Atlanta not re-signing both Derek Lee and Troy Glaus, Freeman is a shoe in to start at first.
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